Educational Stability

Stability is Key to School Success

Of the approximately 400,000 children and youth in foster care, nearly 270,000 children in foster care are of school age. ESSA provides foster care youth with the core protection of school stability.

Children in foster care are some of the most vulnerable students in our nation and often face steep challenges to school success, including high rates of both residential and school mobility. Data reveals (PDF) that foster youth are more likely than their peers to experience a host of barriers that lead to troubling outcomes, including low academic achievement, grade retention and lower high school graduation rates.

Foster care provisions found in ESSA promote greater stability for foster care youth so that they can continue their education without disruption, maintain important relationships with peers and adults, and have the opportunity to achieve college and career readiness.

Educational Stability is a Shared Responsibility Between Child Welfare and Education Partners